Biologists, Hunters Puzzled by Moose Sighting in Nevada

Biologists, Hunters Puzzled by Moose Sighting in Nevada

Ken Theis was driving on Highway 95 after a hunting trip near Orovada when he spotted an animal he had never seen before in Nevada. It was a young bull moose, and it seemed to be making itself at home. Moose sightings in Nevada are not just rare, they border on being tall tales—especially as far west as Paradise Valley, where biologists from the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) said the bull has been living for about a month.

“You kinda gotta do a double-take, when you see something like that,” Theiss told KTVN. “It’s like ‘Oh, you didn’t see that.’ We actually flipped a u-turn and went back and took some pictures.”

Wildlife watchers and hunters have spotted several moose in southeastern Nevada in the past, but the large animals do not usually wander into the state. Biologists believe that this particular bull came from Idaho after leaving its mother. From there, the moose probably followed a stream until it crossed the state border. The animal is not likely to find its new environment to be very favorable, however. A lack of good moose habitat and other members of its species mean that this bull will probably not stay for long.